Baltimore Bill, The Weather-Predicting Crab, Forecasts A Warm Fall

SPARKS, Md., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- He emerged from hiding, he walked the plank, and unlike last year, he predicted a warm fall! Riding on the coattails of last year's accurate early winter prediction, Baltimore Bill, the weather-predicting crab, forecasted a nice autumn this morning in front of an eager crowd at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. With a few words of encouragement from the folks at OLD BAY and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and with official Preakness/Triple Crown stakes caller Larry Collmus providing the play-by-play, Bill walked a specially designed crab plank and headed left to the Inner Harbor to continue his OLD BAY "Baycation" with a warm fall.

"When Bill made his inaugural early winter prediction last year and the first snowflakes appeared in Baltimore on November 13, we knew we were in trouble," said one Baltimore weather personality, who refused to be identified. "The meteorologist community has known about Bill for years, and while I'm thrilled with his warm fall prediction, I'm secretly hoping he's wrong because I'm starting to question my job security."

Ever since Bill was spawned in the lower Chesapeake Bay, he was different from other crabs. When he was hatched, Bill is said to have raised a claw in the water, felt a warm current and headed off to share his special power with the world. Baltimore Bill takes his job very seriously, and in a total claw-biter, he took his time making his prediction this morning.

Who better to predict how long our warmer weather will last than a Chesapeake blue crab? "I know there's a certain groundhog who considers himself a cold weather expert, but unlike said groundhog, I have a spotless record under my shell and I took even more elements into consideration this year," said Bill, who was interviewed via bay phone from an undisclosed location. "Today, my special claw was drawing me to the left. While my claw has the strongest effect on my prediction, I also consider the air temperature, wind direction and smell of the water."